Expert: Frank Leeding - 8/19/2009

Question
I'm writing a PhD proposal which deals with the above topic. I've read your article 'Through a Ritual Darkly:
Translating Art into Ritual Terms' and found it very insightful. Could you please direct me to other coherent studies and sources that deal specifically with the question of the artist as performing some kind of contemporary shamanic role?
Most grateful
Dan


Answer
Nice that you enjoyed my paper (for an Anthro class).
It's difficult to find *anything* on the artist as
Shaman (i cut back that as my original thesis for
the paper). Langer's book is a classic (when she
first published it, it was attacked as being
retrograde as to where philosophy was supposed
to be going).

I had revised, extensively the paper and planned
to publish it. But, alas that was lost in a fire
- along with pretty much everything i owned;
thank goodness (and the muses) for the internet.
I continue to work on this topic and would be
interested in anything that you find out.

Good luck,
Frank.

In the meantime, check out the art work of
Joseph Beuys who *literally* performed shamanistic
performance art works which (other than performance
art as such, happenings, and live theatre) come
closest to "artist as shaman".

Also, note the work of the Navajo shamans who draw
the sand paintings. I have a paper on that as well,
but can't find it on the internet. The main idea is
that for them the *emphemerality* (and the fact that
the painting will eventually be disolved and lost
-- and thus finally achieve its purpose) is KEY and
lost when we *merely* look at a sand painting as
art. It would be similar to listening to a single
note a of a symphony and saying that we "knew"
the work and its intent as well as "expeienced"
the music.

Meanwhile, i'll keep checking...

Frank